Curtain-fixture.



PATBNTED JAN. 16, 1906.

C. E. DUNN. CURTAIN FIXTURE. APPLIUATION FILED DB0. z

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' sired position by CLIFFORD E. DUNN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed December 2, 1904. Serial No. 235,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD E. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in curtain-fixtures of,v

the type known as self-righting xtures, and it is especially adapted for use in connection with what are called pinch-handled fixtures. In this type of apparatus the shade or curtain is wound on a spring-actuated roller or cylinder and is maintained in its dea curtain-stick comprising outwardly-pressed pinch-handled members having braking devices at the outer ends thereof, which engage in the window-frame and serve to retain the shade in the desired position. In order to alter the height of the shade, the pinch-handles are pressed and the shade moved to the operative position; but it often happens that careless users will not grasp the pinch-handles, but will pull down on the side of the shade, and in the old type of fixture it veryl often happened that the curtain-stick was tilted and either became ammed inthe slot or came out of the slot entirely. My present form of Xture is adapted to obviate this difficulty, and it will be found that no matter what portion of the shade is grasped the curtain-stick always remains substantially horizontal, the sides following each other up and down practically in parallel positions.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form of my invention, Figure 1 is a detail and partly sectional view of the lefthand side of a curtain-stick, showing one of the head-pieces in position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line Qc of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken on line y y of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the usual type of curtainstick is illustrated, comprising the cylindrical shell 1, the outwardly-pressed members 2 2, having the pinch-handles 3 3, which members are operated by the springs l to force the outer ends, and the head-piece 5, carried thereby, against the bottom of the slot 6 in the window-frame. The head-piece 5 is secured to the outer ends of the curtain-stick members by the pivot 7, the slot 8 being provided for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. The head-piece 5 is provided with antifriction-surfaces,` such as the rollers 9 9, which serve to permit a free movement of the headpieces in the slots when not otherwise retained by the braking device. This braking device comprisesa pad 10, projecting through an aperture 11 in the side of the head-piece, and is preferably of metal, although it may be provided with a contacting-surface of Ifriction material, 'and it is normally forced outwardly against the side 12 of the groove by means of springs 13 13, at the same time the rods 14 14 serving as guides upon which the pad moves. A central aperture 15 is provided in the friction-pad having beveled surfaces 16 16, and in this aperture the projecting end 17 of the outwardly-pressed member 2 is adapted to be received, the beveled surface of the said member engaging the beveled surfaces 16 16 andv the end 17 being obliquely set, as shown in Fig. 3;

The application ofthe device will be readily understood from theforegoing description and drawings. When the curtain is in its normal position, thecurtain-stick will be horizontal, as shown in Fig. 1, vthe headpiece being set at approximately right angles thereto and the friction-pad being 1n contact with the groove in the window-frame and maintaining the stick in place. Should the curtain be pulled down, however` by oneend, causing the stick to tip from its horizontal position, the head-piece 5 would be tilted and the end or finger 17 would move to one side and, riding over one of the beveled surfaces 16 16, would retract the friction-pad and permit the head-piece to slide in the groove freely upon its rollers 9 9, the springs 41 tending to send the stick back to a substantially horizontalposition. In like manner a compression oil the curtain-stick members by means of the pinch-handles will likewise retract the pad by reason of the oblique-angled terminal 17 moving the pad, the slot S being provided to permit this movement independent of the head-pieces. By the means thus described it is evident that any tilting of the head-piece or compression of the pinch-handles will retract the friction-pad from contact with the groove and will permit the head-pieces, and thus the curtain-stick, to

'move freely up and down to the desired po- IOO sition, where on being released or righted it will be held in place.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a pinch-handled fixture, I do not` wish to limit myself to any such specific structure, as it may be used in other types of fixtures. In like manner I have shown antifriction-rollers as applied to the head-pieces, but other equivalent antifriction surfaces may be used with success. I likewise prefer to use a pivoted head-piece at each end of the stick but this is not absolutely essential, and one head-piece of this type may prove sufficient for all practical purposes.

It is obvious that many other changes and modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the s irit thereof, and I do not limit myself to t e particular forms shown and described; but

What I claim, and des`re to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick, head-pieces movably secured to said stick and having antifriction-surfaces for contact with the window-frame, friction devices movably mounted in said head-pieces and adapted to engage the side of the groove in the window-frame, and means whereby the movement of thevhead-pieces on the stick withdraws the friction devices from operation, substantially as described.

2. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a` shade of a curtainstick comprising outwardly-pressed members, headpieces movably secured to the ends of said members and having antifriction-surfaces for contact with the window-frame, movable friction devices carried by said head-pieces independent of the stick and adapted to engage the groove in the windowframe, and means whereby the movement of the head-pieces on the stick withdraws the friction devices from operation.

3. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick comprising outwardly-pressed members, head-pieces movably secured to the ends of said members and having antifriction-surfaces for contact with the windowframe, friction devices movably mounted in said head-pieces independent of the stick and adapted to engage the side of the groove in the window-frame, means whereby the movement of the head-pieces on the stick withdraws the friction devices from operation, and whereby the inward movement of the curtain-stick members retracts the friction devices from operation, substantially as described. i

4. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick, head-pieces movably secured to said stick and having antifriction-surfaces for contact with the window-frame, friction desaid head-pieces and adapted to engage the groove in the window-frame, the friction devices having beveled surfaces and the curtain-stick having corresponding beveled surfaces, whereby the movement of the headpieces on the stick withdraws the friction devices from operation, and means whereby the inward movement of the curtain-stick members retracts the friction devices within the head-pieces, substantially as described.

6. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick comprising pinch-handled outwardlypressed membersJ head-pieces pivoted to the outer ends of said members and having antifriction-rollers mounted therein, a centrallydisposed friction device adapted to engage the groove in the window-frame, beveled surfaceson the friction devices and corresponding beveled surfaces on the curtain-stick whereby the movement of the head-pieces on the stick withdraws the friction device from operation, substantially as described.

7. In a xture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade of a curtainstick comprising outwardly-pressed members, head-pieces movably secured to the ends of said members and having antifriction-surfaces for contact with the windowframe, a friction device movably mounted in said head-pieces and adapted to engage the groove in the window-frame, said friction devices having beveled surfaces and said stick having correspondingly beveled and obliquely-set terminals coacting with said beveled surfaces of the friction devices whereby the friction devices are withdrawn from operation when the head-pieces are tilted on the stick or when inward movement is imparted to the curtain-stick members, substantially as described.

8. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick comprising pinch-handled outwardlypressed members, head-pieces pivotally seccured to the outer ends of said members, which members have slotted connections therewith, antifriction-surfaces on said headpieces and centrally-disposed friction devices lmovably connected to the head and means IOS IIO

' ingly beveled and obliquely-set terminals on said curtain-stick members whereby the friction devices are withdrawn from operative position when the head-pieces are tilted on the stick or when the curtain-stick members are moved inwardly, substantially as described.

10. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick, a head-piece tiltable relative to the stick, a spring-pressed holding member adapted to engage the side ofthe groove in the window-frame, and means whereby the tilting of the head-piece relative to the stick withdraws -the holding member from operation.

11. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a shade, of a curtain-stick, a head-piece tiltable relative to the stick, a holding member adapted to engage the side of the groove in the window-frame, and means whereby the tilting of the head-piece withdraws the holding member from operation.

12. In a fixture for a self-righting curtain, the combination with a shade, of a curtainstick, a head-piece tiltable relative to the stick, a holding member adapted to engage the side of the groove in the window-frame, means for withdrawing the holding member from operation, and means operatively associated with said last-mentioned means rendering the same automatically operable by `movable stick, a head therefor, a holding device adapted to engage the'side of a groove of a window-frame, said holding device being slidably mounted in the head and having a loose connection with the stick permitting transverse movement thereof relative to the stick, and means whereby the inward and outward movements of the stick relative to the head will impart like transverse movements to the holding device.

14. In a curtain-fixture, a longitudinallymovable stick, a head therefor, a spring-actuated holding device adapted to engage the side of a groove of a window-frame, said holding device being slid ably mounted in the head for transverse movement relative to the stick, and a slidable en agement between the holding device and stic i whereby the inward and outward movements of the stick relative to the head will impart like transverse movements to the holding device.

15. In acurtain-fixture, a longitudinallymovable stick, a head therefor, a holding device adapted to engage the side of a groove of a window-frame, said holding device being slidably mounted in the head for transverse movement relative to the stick, the said stick and holding device having a loose connection I Withone another, and one of said last-mentioned members having an inclined portion at said connection whereby inward and outward movement of the stick will impart like transverse movements to the holding device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLIFFORD E. DUNN.

Witnesses: Y

ADOLPH F. DrNsE, A. C. FISCHER. 

